Considering cognitive load as a key element in instructional design for developing graphical capability

Developing skills of graphical capability have been discussed as core competencies in the context of general educational provision by numerous authors in recent years 1, 2. The skills associated with this concept of capability include visuospatial reasoning and problem solving skills. Aligning with contemporary philosophies of educational provision, the flexible development of these skills is of core concern in a dynamically evolving societal context. Given this focus, the nature of instructional design with relation to educational provision is of paramount importance. Previous research by Delahunty et al.3 has highlighted possible areas of concern in the application of theoretical graphical knowledge (developed through current educational practice) to applied problem solving activities. Further work has hypothesized the possible underlying variables which may be affecting the problem solving process including transfer issues and conceptualizations of educational tasks 4. The conceptualization of tasks is hypothesized to be a core phenomenon in the process of problem solving and must be investigated in the context of task design. However, in the context of designing tasks for learning purposes Sweller et al.5 discuss cognitive load as a further consideration which is often overlooked. It will be necessary to consider the two areas in parallel and in conjunction with efficacy of task performance in order to gain a deeper understanding of problem solving processes within graphical learning. The research in this paper, which is part of a larger study currently underway at the University of Limerick, presents an exploration of cognitive load and its relationship to problem solving performance. It takes the form of a critical literature review on the nature of cognitive load and possible effects of graphical task design. Key points within this review are discussed in conjunction with previous exploratory work in the area of conceptualization. The paper concludes by presenting a promising approach to investigating underlying variables affecting problem solving efficacy within a teaching and learning context.